Liquid dispensing tap and liquid container provided therewith

Abstract

Liquid dispensing tap 1 connectable to a liquid container 70, e.g. a bag in box, for controlled dispensing of a liquid therefrom. The tap comprises a housing 10 forming an inlet of the tap and comprising a dispensing chamber wall portion 13 delimiting a dispensing chamber 14 with a valve seat 16 at an axial end and forming a lateral dispensing outlet 17 in communication with the dispensing chamber 14. The tap 1 comprises a plunger 30 with a stem 31 and a valve portion 32, the stem having an actuator engagement portion 33 outside said dispensing chamber and extending along an axis 15 through a bore 18 in the dispensing chamber wall portion and through the dispensing chamber. The plunger moves axially between a closed and an open position. A manually operable plunger actuator 50 engages said engagement portion of the stem to open the tap.

Claims

1. A liquid dispensing tap adapted to be connected to a liquid container, for controlled dispensing of a liquid from said container, the tap comprising: a housing comprising: a connector portion adapted to connect the tap to the liquid container and forming an inlet of the tap, a dispensing chamber wall portion delimiting a dispensing chamber having an axis, which dispensing chamber wall portion comprises a valve seat at an axial end thereof and forms a dispensing outlet of the tap in open communication with said dispensing chamber, a one piece molded plastic plunger having a valve portion that is integrally molded with a stem of the plunger, wherein the stem has an actuator engagement portion (33) outside said dispensing chamber and wherein the stem extends along said axis through a bore in said dispensing chamber wall portion and through the dispensing chamber, wherein the valve portion is embodied to cooperate with the valve seat, and wherein the plunger is axially movable between a closed position, wherein the tap is closed, and an open position, wherein the tap is open, a manually operable plunger actuator which engages said engagement portion of the stem of the plunger allowing a user to open the tap for dispensing of liquid, characterized in that the plunger has an integrally molded annular flexible sealing lip that extends around the stem, and in that the bore forms a cylinder along said axis, and wherein the sealing lip slides within and sealingly engages the cylinder in any operative position of the plunger within the cylinder, and wherein the bore has an end wall at one end of said cylinder, and wherein the bore has a guide sleeve adjoining said end wall, which guide sleeve is concentric with said cylinder and has an inner diameter smaller than an inner diameter of said cylinder, wherein the stem extends through said guide sleeve.

2. A tap according to claim 1, wherein the guide sleeve extends at least partially within said cylinder, and wherein said guide sleeve has a plunger stop end face, wherein the plunger has a corresponding stop portion, so that the plunger stop end face determines the closed position of the plunger.

3. A tap according to claim 2, wherein the stem has a small diameter section extending through said guide sleeve and large diameter section within the dispensing chamber, wherein the stem has a shoulder between said small and large diameter sections, and wherein said shoulder forms the stop portion of the plunger.

4. A tap according to claim 2, wherein the stem has a small diameter section extending through said guide sleeve and a large diameter section within the dispensing chamber, wherein the stem has a shoulder between said small and large diameter sections, and wherein the annular flexible sealing lip extends from said shoulder, concentrically about the small diameter section of the stem.

5. A tap according to claim 2, wherein the valve seat has a substantially cylindrical valve seat surface, and wherein the valve portion is embodied as a dish with a flexible peripheral rim that is primarily compressed in radial direction when contacting said valve seat surface.

6. A tap according to claim 1, wherein the stem is hollow with an open end at the side of the valve portion and a blind end at the side of the engagement portion.

7. A liquid dispensing tap adapted to be connected to a liquid container for controlled dispensing of a liquid from said container, the tap comprising: a housing comprising: a connector portion adapted to connect the tap to the liquid container and forming an inlet of the tap, a dispensing chamber wall portion delimiting a dispensing chamber having an axis, which dispensing chamber wall portion comprises a valve seat at an axial end thereof and forms a dispensing outlet of the tap in open communication with said dispensing chamber, a one piece molded plastic plunger having a valve portion that is integrally molded with a stem of the plunger, wherein the stem has an actuator engagement portion outside said dispensing chamber and wherein the stem extends along said axis through a bore in said dispensing chamber wall portion and through the dispensing chamber, wherein the valve portion is embodied to cooperate with the valve seat, and wherein the plunger is axially movable between a closed position, wherein the tap is closed, and an open position, wherein the tap is open, a manually operable plunger actuator which engages said engagement portion of the stem of the plunger allowing a user to open the tap for dispensing of liquid, characterized in that the plunger has an integrally molded annular flexible sealing lip that extends around the stem, and in that the bore forms a cylinder along said axis, and wherein the sealing lip slides within and sealingly engages the cylinder in any operative position of the plunger within the cylinder, and wherein the dispensing chamber wall portion is provided with multiple guide fingers that extend axially away from the valve seat in the direction of the open position of the plunger, which guide fingers each have a free end remote from the valve seat, wherein the guide fingers guide and support the valve portion as the plunger is moved between the closed and open position thereof, whereinin the open positionliquid ports are exposed between the fingers allowing passage of liquid from the inlet into the dispensing chamber.

8. A tap according to claim 7, wherein the guide fingers each have a guide face with a curvature corresponding to a curvature of the guided valve portion.

9. A tap according to claim 1, wherein the housing has an outer wall portion forming an exterior of the tap, and wherein the dispensing chamber wall portion forms the valve seat within and radially spaced from said outer wall portion.

10. A tap according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is a manually depressable push button, that is exposed to allow operation by a user 's finger.

11. A tap according to claim 10, wherein the push button comprises a collar having an outer diameter, which collar is snap fitted over a head forming the engagement portion of the stem of the plunger, wherein the collar has an end forming a stop face, and wherein the housing has at said bore an abutment portion that cooperates with said stop face of the collar to define the open position of the plunger, and wherein the housing has at said bore a recessed cavity into which the collar enters when the plunger moves in the open position thereof, and wherein the recessed cavity is embodied as a locking cavity which has a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the collar such that the collar is unable to disengage from the head when entered into the locking cavity.

12. A tap according to claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a resilient biasing member providing a biasing force on the plunger urging the plunger to the closed position thereof.

Description

(1) The invention will now be discussed with reference to the drawings. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an example of a liquid dispensing tap according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 shows the tap of FIG. 1 in side view,

(4) FIG. 3 shows the tap of FIG. 1 from below in perspective view,

(5) FIG. 4 shows the tap of FIG. 1 in cross-section, with the tap being open,

(6) FIG. 5 shows the tap of FIG. 1 in cross-section, with the tap being closed,

(7) FIG. 6 shows a detail of FIG. 4 on a larger scale,

(8) FIG. 7 shows in perspective view the plunger and push button of the tap of FIG. 1,

(9) FIG. 8 shows in cross section the plunger of the tap of FIG. 1,

(10) FIG. 9 shows a cross section of a push button of the tap of FIG. 1,

(11) FIG. 10 shows the push button of FIG. 9 in a perspective view,

(12) FIG. 11 shows a pouch, e.g. a pouch of a bag in box container, to which the tap of FIG. 1 can be fitted,

(13) FIG. 12 shows a bag in box container provided with the tap of FIG. 1.

(14) In the drawings a liquid dispensing tap 1 is shown that is adapted to be connected to a liquid container, e.g. to a pouch of a bag in box container, for controlled dispensing of a liquid from the container. For example the pouch of the bag in box container is filled with a beverage, e.g. wine. The pouch may be provided with a fitment to which the tap 1 is connected or the tap 1 can be directly connected to the pouch. Instead of a pouch the container may also have another design, e.g. as a bottle, canister, etc.

(15) The tap 1 is, as is preferred, assembled from just three one piece plastic components: a housing 10, a plunger 30, a push button 50.

(16) As is known in the art the tap 1 can be provided with a removable covering seal that extends over the outlet in order to avoid any ingress of foreign matter.

(17) The housing 10 is preferably a rigid and one piece injection molded plastic part.

(18) The housing 10 comprises a connector portion 11 that is adapted to connect the tap to a liquid container and forms an inlet 12 of the tap via which liquid from the container enters the tap 1.

(19) The housing 10 further comprises, as integral part thereof as is preferred, a dispensing chamber wall portion 13 delimiting a dispensing chamber 14 having an axis 15. This dispensing chamber wall portion 13 comprises a valve seat 16 at an axial end thereof and forms a lateral dispensing outlet 17 of the tap 1 that is in open communication with the dispensing chamber 14.

(20) In this example the outlet 17 has an internal crucifix wall structure that counteracts dripping and directs the outflowing liquid.

(21) The plunger 30 is, as is preferred, a one piece molded plastic plunger. Preferably the plunger is made of a plastic material that is less rigid than the plastic material of the housing 10, e.g. of a semi rigid plastic material.

(22) The plunger 30 has a stem 31 and a valve portion 32 that is integrally molded with the stem 31. The stem 31 has an actuator engagement portion 33 outside the dispensing chamber, generally at the front side of the tap 1 in practical use. The stem 31 extends along the axis 17 through a bore 18 in the dispensing chamber wall portion 13 and through the dispensing chamber 14.

(23) The valve portion 32 is embodied to cooperate with the valve seat 16. The plunger 30 is axially movable or reciprocable along the axis 15 between a closed position, wherein the tap 1 is closed, and an open position, wherein the tap is open.

(24) As a third and here final component the tap 1 comprises the push button 50 that acts as manually operable plunger actuator of the tap 1. The button 50 is coupled to the engagement portion 33 of the stem 31 of the plunger 30 and allows a user to open the tap 1 for dispensing of liquid from the container.

(25) The bore 18 forms a cylinder 19 along the axis 15. The plunger 30 has an integrally molded annular flexible sealing lip 34 that extends around the stem 31. This lip 34 slides within and sealing engages the cylinder 19 in any position of the plunger 30.

(26) As can best be seen in FIG. 6 the bore has an end wall 20 at one end of the cylinder 19. Furthermore the bore has a guide sleeve 21 adjoining this end wall 20. This sleeve is concentric with the cylinder 19 and has an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the cylinder 19. The stem 31 extends through the guide sleeve 21 with some play. In the example shown the guide sleeve 21 extends fully within the cylinder 19.

(27) The stem has a small diameter section 31a extending through the guide sleeve 21 and large diameter section 31b within the dispensing chamber 14. The stem 31 has a shoulder 35 between the small and large diameter sections 31a, 31b.

(28) In the illustrated example the shoulder 35 forms a stop portion of the plunger 30. The guide sleeve 21 has a plunger stop end face 21a remote from the end wall 20. In cooperation with the shoulder 35 acting as corresponding stop portion of the plunger, the plunger stop end face determines the closed position of the plunger 30 wherein the tap 1 is closed.

(29) The annular flexible sealing lip 34, that provides a seal and support where the plunger 30 extends through the wall portion 13, extends from the shoulder 35 and is concentric about the small diameter section 31a of the stem 31.

(30) The valve seat 16 has a substantially cylindrical valve seat surface, e.g. with none or a minimal tapering, e.g. less than 6 degrees taper.

(31) The valve portion 32 is embodied as a dish 36 with a flexible peripheral rim 37 that is primarily compressed in radial direction when contacting this cylindrical valve seat surface of the valve seat 16.

(32) The stem 31 is a hollow cavity stem, or a tubular stem, with a hollow cavity 38 that extends from an open end at the valve portion 32 through the large and small diameter sections 31a,b to a blind end at the side of the engagement portion 33.

(33) The dispensing chamber wall portion 13 is provided with multiple guide fingers 23 that extend away from the valve seat 16 in the direction of the open position of the plunger 30. These fingers 23, e.g. three fingers at circumferentially spaced locations, each have a free end remote from the valve seat 16. The guide fingers 23 guide and support the valve portion 32 as the plunger 30 is moved between the closed and open position thereof.

(34) As can best be seen in FIG. 4,in the open positiona liquid port 26 is exposed between adjacent fingers 23 allowing passage of liquid from the inlet into the dispensing chamber 14 and then to the outlet 17.

(35) The fingers 23 each have a guide face with a curvature corresponding to a curvature of the guided valve portion 31 when considering the circumferential direction of the valve portion 31.

(36) As illustrated the fingers 23 each have sides that determine an increasing width of the finger in the direction towards the valve seat 16. This causes an amplified increased reduction of the effective liquid port area when the plunger moves to the closed position. By suitable design of the dimensions of the fingers 23 the designer can obtain desired regimes of opening and closing of the tap as well as dispensing regimes. For example housings can be manufactured for different liquid products that only vary with regard to the fingers 23, which can be easily done by using different design injection molding cores. The various housings can then be combined with identical plungers 30 and push buttons 50 and still one obtains variation of the mentioned regimes.

(37) As shown in the figures the housing 10 has an outer wall portion 25 forming an exterior of the tap 1. The dispensing chamber wall portion 13 here forms the valve seat 16 within and spaced from the surrounding outer wall portion 25, here shown as a gap between the valve seat 16 and the surrounding wall 25.

(38) The manually depressable push button 50 is exposed to allow operation by a user's finger, e.g. a thumb. In the shown embodiment the push button 50 is embodied as a one piece resilient material push button, as is preferred of polypropylene (PP) material, providing a biasing force on the plunger 30 urging the plunger to the closed position thereof. In an alternative the push button is made of an elastomer, e.g. a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).

(39) The push button 50 comprises a snap fit collar 51 having an outer diameter. This snap fit collar 51 is snap fitted over a snap fit head 33 forming the engagement portion of the stem 31. The snap fit collar 51 has an end forming a stop face 52. The housing hasat the bore 18an abutment portion 27 that cooperates with this stop face of the snap fit collar 51 to define the open position of the plunger 30.

(40) The FIG. 6 shows that the housing hasat the borea recessed locking cavity 28 into which the snap fit collar 51 enters when the plunger 30 is brought in the open position thereof. The recessed cavity 28 is embodied as a locking cavity which has a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the snap fit collar 51 such that the collar 51 is unable to disengage from the snap fit head 33 of the stem 31 when entered into the locking cavity.

(41) The push button 50, embodied as a one piece resilient material push button, provides the biasing force that urges the plunger 30 to the closed position. So when the user release the button 50, the button 50 exerts said biasing force, e.g. the button being made of polypropylene (PP).

(42) The push button 50 has a collar portion 53, here circular as is preferred, that is secured to the housing of the tap 1 and a depressable wall 54 bridging the collar portion 53.

(43) The collar portion 53 is held on a tubular retention wall portion 29 of the housing, here a cylindrical wall portion 29 protruding axially from the chamber wall portion 13, opposite the chamber 14.

(44) The collar portion 53 here clamps elastically on the inner retention wall portion 29. To enhance the retention the collar portion has circular ridges 53a on the inner face thereof and the wall portion has mating circular grooves. In another embodiment the collar portion 53 is fitted within a tubular retention wall, e.g. with mating formations on the outside of the collar portion and the inside of the retention wall.

(45) The depressable wall portion 54 has a user engagement face, or front face, with a central area 56. The collar 51 is integral with said area at the opposite or rear side of the button 50. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, in the non-mounted condition of the push button, the central area 56 is axially raised relative to the outer perimeter 57 of the wall portion, which perimeter 57 adjoins the collar 53.

(46) Between the central area 56 and the outer perimeter 57 the depressable wall portion 54 has multiple concentric undulations 58, 59 that enhance the resiliency and form restoring effect of the wall portion 54.

(47) As shown here each undulation 58, 59 is formed by three concentric and integral regions: a first conical annular region 58a, widening towards the outer perimeter of the wall portion, an intermediate radial annular region 58b, adjoining the first conical annular region and extending substantially in a radial plane of the push button, a second conical annular region 58c, adjoining the intermediate radial annular region and widening towards the outer perimeter of the wall portion.

(48) In the embodiment shown here the push button 50 has two undulations 58, 59, whereas in another embodiment the button may have a single undulation.

(49) FIG. 11 shows a pouch 70, for example a pouch 70 of a bag in box container. The pouch has a fitment 71 to which the tap 1 of FIG. 1 can be fitted.

(50) FIG. 12 shows a bag in box container 75, e.g. with a carton outer container and inside thereof the pouch 70, provided with the tap 1 of FIG. 1.